[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1716 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1716

      Urging the Government of Belarus to conduct a free and fair 
presidential election on December 19, 2010, and expressing support for 
the Belarusian people's desire for democratic government that respects 
                   human rights and the rule of law.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 16, 2010

 Mr. Smith of New Jersey submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
      Urging the Government of Belarus to conduct a free and fair 
presidential election on December 19, 2010, and expressing support for 
the Belarusian people's desire for democratic government that respects 
                   human rights and the rule of law.

Whereas since his 1994 election as President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenka 
        has established himself as a dictator, abusing executive authority and 
        maintaining himself in office through a series of fundamentally flawed 
        and fraudulent presidential and parliamentary elections and 
        constitutional referenda;
Whereas the Government of Belarus has regularly violated basic freedoms of 
        speech, expression, assembly, association, and religion;
Whereas the Government of Belarus has regularly subjected independent media, 
        nongovernmental organizations, independent trade unions, churches and 
        religious groups, and democratic opposition leaders to harassment, 
        arrest, detention, and violence;
Whereas credible allegations and evidence link top officials of the Government 
        of Belarus with the disappearance of opposition figures Yuri Zakharenka, 
        Viktor Gonchar, and Anatoly Krasovsky in 1999 and journalist Dmitry 
        Zavadsky in 2000, and the Government of Belarus has failed to make a 
        serious effort to bring to justice any of those responsible for the 
        disappearance of these persons;
Whereas the Government of Belarus maintains monopoly control over the Belarusian 
        media and actively suppresses freedom of speech and expression, 
        including by engaging in reprisals against independent media and 
        imposing surveillance of the Internet;
Whereas, on October 27, 2010, Dunja Mijatovic, the Organization for Security and 
        Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media, 
        urged the Government of Belarus to bring ``the media situation more in 
        line with the OSCE commitments'', noting that improvement was ``sorely 
        needed as pluralism was non-existing in the broadcasting sector, 
        restricted in the print media and vulnerable on the Internet'';
Whereas the Government of Belarus has not honored its OSCE commitments, 
        including specific provisions of the 1990 Copenhagen Document, with 
        respect to democratic elections;
Whereas presidential or parliamentary elections conducted by the Government of 
        Belarus in 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, and 2008 were fundamentally unfair 
        and undemocratic;
Whereas the last presidential election, held in March 2006, failed to meet OSCE 
        standards for democratic elections, and was further discredited by 
        abuses of state authority, including the detention of numerous 
        opposition figures, in which the Government of Belarus violated basic 
        rights to freedom of assembly, association, and expression;
Whereas the actions of the Government of Belarus in connection with the December 
        19, 2010, presidential election will demonstrate whether it is willing 
        to implement OSCE standards and develop toward democratic government 
        that respects human rights and the rule of law;
Whereas the September 27, 2010, through September 29, 2010, OSCE Office of 
        Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Needs Assessment 
        Mission Report for the December 19 presidential election noted that 
        while Belarusian electoral legislation has recently been improved, 
        serious concerns remain, and the electoral legislation requires further 
        improvement in order to meet OSCE obligations;
Whereas Government of Belarus officials have been responsible for administrative 
        harassment of and pressure on opposition politicians, as well as some 
        media and civil society groups, in the lead-up to the December 19, 2010, 
        presidential election;
Whereas the United States remains committed to supporting those within Belarus 
        who work toward a democratic Belarus that respects human rights and the 
        rule of law, maintain the national independence of Belarus, and promote 
        the integration of Belarus into the European family of nations and 
        global society; and
Whereas Congress passed the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-347) 
        and Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-480) 
        as expressions of support consistent with these aims: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) urges the Government of Belarus to act in accordance 
        with its stated intention to conduct the December 19, 2010, 
        election in a manner consistent with OSCE commitments, 
        including by respecting fundamental freedoms, permitting all 
        contestants to campaign freely, protecting the integrity of 
        early voting, and ensuring an open and transparent voting, 
        counting, and tabulation process;
            (2) urges the Government of Belarus to meet its OSCE 
        obligations regarding democratic elections, including to meet 
        OSCE standards on free and fair elections as defined in the 
        1990 Copenhagen Document;
            (3) supports the Belarusian people's desire for democratic 
        government that respects human rights and the rule of law;
            (4) asserts that it is in the national interests of the 
        United States that Belarus remain an independent state, and 
        become more democratic, respectful of human rights and the rule 
        of law, and integrated into the European family of nations and 
        global society; and
            (5) remains open to reevaluating United States policy 
        toward Belarus as warranted by demonstrable progress in respect 
        of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
                                 <all>